Infatuation Rules
Photo: Vlada Karpovich
You might also refer to him as something more detached, like my "plus-one," "prospect" or literally, like, "This is my date." Some prefer the tongue-in-cheek "not-boyfriend." You can be coy ("fancy friend") or a bit crass ("makeout buddy") or cheesy ("this is my luvvah") or even snobbish/fake-French.
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Read More »Hi Anna! I read your column in the RedEye every week! I have never been one to go for online dating, I'm just not into it. However, my sister is on Tinder and matched with a guy she thought would be perfect for me. She asked if she could give him my number, and I said sure. So he texted me, and we went out for dinner. That was about two months ago, and we've been on several dates since then and text on a regular basis. I've been to his apartment, and he's been to mine. We've kissed and made out a few times, but no sex. I am not seeing other people, but he says we are not exclusive, which I am fine with. I've never dated anyone before or had a boyfriend. I am hoping you can help me figure out what to call this guy. I don't think we are boyfriend/girlfriend, but I do think we are more than friends. Friends with benefits doesn't quite fit because we don't make out on a regular basis (I'm not a very physical person). I know I can use the phrase "the guy I'm dating," but I would like to find a noun, a one-word, concise term I can use in conversation with my friends and family. I look forward to your advice!
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Simply be courteous and keep some physical distance between you two whenever you meet. Let him have his space but do let him know you miss him once...
Read More »That word might feel too intense for your situation, in which case, here are some other suggestions. Lindsay King-Miller, from the fantastic advice column (and now book) "Ask a Queer Chick," coined the term "umfriend," for when you're in the in-between, not-totally-sure-what-to-call-it dating space. As in, "He's my, um, friend." You might also refer to him as something more detached, like my "plus-one," "prospect" or literally, like, "This is my date." Some prefer the tongue-in-cheek "not-boyfriend." You can be coy ("fancy friend") or a bit crass ("makeout buddy") or cheesy ("this is my luvvah") or even snobbish/fake-French. ("Oh, Steve? He's just my au courant.") They'll probably be too impressed to even ask what it means (well-informed or fashionable, for the record). A Twitter follower also threw out the Bavarian word gspusi, which means lover/affair. One of my exes referred to me as "the writer" when we first started dating, which I very much enjoyed. This may not work if he's, like, an insurance adjustor, but then again, maybe it will. "This is Steve, my adjustor."
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